SPRINGFIELD — Hardware was handed out to some teams, while others shed tears. It was the district championship for high school football in Missouri on Friday, Nov. 14. The playoffs continue to be wild, with upsets and crazy finishes.
Here’s everything that happened to Springfield area teams in the district title game.
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There isn’t a single team in the area that has improved more as the season went along than Ozark (6-6). Nixa felt Ozark’s wrath throughout the district championship game.
The Eagles had to hold on to a 34-27 win to secure the title. Nixa (10-2) coach John Perry took to social media, calling Ozark’s performance the best he’d seen in seven years.
Ozark had the ball at Nixa’s 10-yard line with less than 10 seconds to play. Down a touchdown, Ozark tried to fire pass after pass to the end zone from quarterback Caden O’Donnell.
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Nixa used its own starting quarterback, Adam McKnight, to play defensive end. McKnight went around the edge and sacked O’Donnell to end the game.
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Nixa’s big-play ability was too much for Ozark. Nixa trailed 14-13 at halftime with its back against the wall. McKnight threw two of his three touchdown passes in the first half. He found Carter Mabe from 35 yards and Austin White from 60.
Ozark countered with a 1-yard rushing score from Jett Easley. Easley also caught a 12-yard touchdown reception before halftime.
Nixa came out of the locker room with all of the momentum. They scored back-to-back touchdowns. McKnight rushed for a 5-yard touchdown and threw a 30-yard bullet to Reed Wilson.
Ozark didn’t give up as the team secured big play after big play. Easley scored another rushing touchdown and O’Donnell found Mereck Putt for a 23-yard touchdown. The back-to-back touchdown drives delivered Ozark a 27-26 lead with 9:39 left in the game.
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When Nixa needs it, they put the ball in their star quarterback’s hands. He scored the game-winning touchdown through a 48-yard rush down the near sideline. A few minutes later, McKnight would come away with the game-ending sack.
Ozark interim head coach Ray Godfrey delivered the program its first .500-or-better finish since 2020.
Nixa will go on the road to face Blue Springs (9-2) on Friday, Nov. 20.
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As the season has continued, Republic (10-1) and Helias Catholic (11-0) have been on a path to meet in the playoffs. They have been two of the best teams in Class 5 and they will meet in the state quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 21.
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Republic downed Neosho 56-13 for a huge victory. This was Republic’s sixth win of the season settled by 27 points or more. Helias defeated Camdenton 30-8 to continue its undefeated run. The Crusaders have won each road game by at least 16 points.
This will be a rematch of the 2024 state quarterfinal game, in which Helias defeated Republic 24-21. Republic defeated Helias 28-21 in the 2023 state quarterfinals, which ultimately led to the Tigers reaching the state title game.
In Week 5, it couldn’t have gone much worse for Bolivar, as they suffered a heavy loss to Logan-Rogersville. That result was laid to rest, and Bolivar turned the tables on the Wildcats in a massive district championship victory.
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The Liberators defeated Rogersville 26-14, the program’s first district title since 2013. Bolivar actually trailed 14-13 entering the fourth quarter. Big plays and long drives delivered a major playoff victory for the visitors.
Logan-Rogersville’s Joe Roche and Kasimir Manczuk scored rushing touchdowns, but were held in check for most of the game. Bolivar’s Chapel Banner threw a 68-yard touchdown to Waylon Cooper in the opening quarter. Banner also rushed for a 47-yard score in the third quarter.
In the final period, Banner tossed a 55-yard bomb to wide receiver Shaqir McCoy to put Bolivar ahead 19-14. Bolivar’s defense was outstanding, especially late in the game. The Liberators forced two punts and ended the game on an interception caught by Cooper.
On the biggest drive of the game, Bolivar had the ball at its own 20-yard line, up by five. The Liberators marched down the field, killing six minutes off the clock before Banner rushed in for the touchdown to ice the game.
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Bolivar will host Warrensburg (11-1) for the Class 4 State Quarterfinal at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21. Rogersville’s outstanding season ends with a 9-2 record, the program’s highest win total since 2011.
Fair Grove did not want to repeat the result of its last meeting against Springfield Catholic. The Eagles used revenge to defeat the Irish 47-7 for the district title, erasing a regular season defeat.
The Eagles forced four turnovers and a 4th-down stop near midfield. Fair Grove quarterback Gavin Thomason was excellent. The senior, who recently signed to play college baseball for Missouri State, was all over the field.
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He scored four rushing touchdowns to lead the offense. He scored short-yardage touchdowns while also peeling off a few deep runs. He was balanced by running back Wyatt Hallum, who added two touchdowns. Austin Azeez also opened the scoring for Fair Grove with a long rushing touchdown. Springfield Catholic’s Sam Boster tied the game early with a rushing touchdown, but the Irish couldn’t keep pace with a Fair Grove defense that was on the mark.
The Eagles will host Lamar in the Class 2 State Quarterfinals at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13. This is a rematch of the 2024 Class 2 State Championship game, where Lamar won by three points.
District 5
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No. 1 Nixa 34, No. 2 Ozark 27
District 5
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No. 1 Helias Catholic 30, No. 2 Camdenton 8
District 6
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No. 1 Republic 56, No. 2 Neosho 13
District 6
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No. 3 Bolivar 26, No. 1 Logan-Rogersville 14
District 5
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No. 1 Mountain Grove 46, No. 2 Strafford 7
District 6
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No. 1 Cassville 30, No. 2 Seneca 6
District 3
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No. 2 Fair Grove 47, No. 1 Springfield Catholic 7
District 4
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No. 1 Lamar 66, No. 3 East Newton 20
District 3
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No. 2 Miller 24, No. 1 Marionville 16
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Missouri State athletics for The Springfield News-Leader. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Breaking down Springfield area high school football district championship action
